Forza Italia, Basta Inghilterra

Apologies to those who don't follow the game of football (soccer) but last night was a pivotal night for the English football team. The qualifying stages of the European Championships played their final games last night and half of Europe held it's breath in anticipation of making the Top 16 clubs that compete in the European Championships Finals.

England always get through, the idea that England isn't a top 16 European footballing nation is ludicrous, after all we have Owen, Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard, John Terry, some of the best players in the world.

So, last night we had our friends Jack and Gwen over and opened up a lovely wine, the Antinori Chianto Classico Riserva 2001, in anticipation of a win or a draw over Croatia. England needed just 1 point to go through and were playing at the New Wembley, what could be simpler right?
WRONG.

England stunk. In the face of our wonderful Antinori, England were the cheapest bottle of straw covered Chianti you can find. Weak, insipid, uninspired and with a poor finish, I can not even give a score to this vintage. Shocking! 2 goals down in 15 minutes, only to pull them back in the second half and gave a nation hope. I knew we'd go on to lose. I've watched England compete in too many sporting events not to know, I've watched Henman at Wimbledon, the Rugby team, the Formula One drivers. I think all of us watching, live or on the box, knew that we wouldn't hold on, that we'd fall on our own sword and lose the game.

So, I'm giving up on being English. I'm just going to ignore my heritage and hide my passport because I'm tired of being a loser! Yesterday I applied for my Italian "Residenzia" at the local comune. I was expecting a long wait, an arduous task of to-ing and fro-ing but I was all done in 20 minutes! So now, I am officially a resident of Italy.

I can flash my Carta Identita at the airport and no one need ever know that I'm English again! My Team, that being the Italian football squad, are the current World champions. Oh yes, and My Team, that being the Ferrari Formula One racing team, are the current F1 champions.

So, for all you poor English readers with your rubbish teams and terrible wine I'm going to review another of my beautiful homegrown Italian wines, the aforementioned Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 2001. This wine went wonderfully well with our "Burger Night", consisting, as you'd imagine, of burger and fries. The burgers were fantastic home made masterpieces so on this occasion, matching with the Chianti went very well. This wine would be well suited to a hearty meaty pasta dish and could easily accompany a nice steak dinner.

Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva 2001 - BUY - €20
Very dark colour in the glass, intense dark ruby red with some nice pinky looking hues. The nose is fruity, spicy with the most noticeable aroma profiles of blackberries and vanilla. On the palate we've got some good tannic structure and some noticeable acidity, the wine is well balanced and enjoyable with good length on the finish as well as warming alcohol. Mid to Full bodied wine. 91 Points

I really recommend this Chianti to you. If you've been exposed to bad Chianti in the past you're probably left with a negative "What the deuce" attitude about this wine. Chianti is a little devil, you have to be certain of what you're buying and I'm certain of this. Wonderful year for Chianti so please try some.

Where can I buy this wine?
Americans - Shopperswines - $25
Europeans - Italian Wine Shop - €20
Brits - Winedirect - £15.95

I'm afraid I have some bad news for you all. Tomorrow I leave for my vacation so there wont be a daily update on the blog. However, I am collecting material for a super dooper double blog entry about the USA's Italian wine scene. That sounds boring but really it wont be! Have faith!

Question of the Day?
What does your nation do best?

Italian Wine Food Matching

Italian wine has always been produced as an accompaniment to food. Wine for wines sake, wine that is simply to be enjoyed solo is a relatively new phenomenon and through the ages wine production, producing the perfect wine, has been the quest to create the perfect food/wine match.

Wine variance through the regions of Italy is directly related to the regional foods. It is no happy accident that the wines of Italy have a high acidity content. The Italian diet consisted of fish, tomatoes, olive oil and condiments such a vinegar and lemons were used to cut through that fatty/oily diet with acid. If drinking wine, then acidic wines were called for, Valpolicella, Dolcetto and Chianti being good examples.

Oily foods, fish etc, need to be cut with a sharpness that Italian wines can provide. Normally we would seek to pair fish with a white wine, but some Italian reds can also do the job. Today we are going to look at Food/Wine matches to make, and most importantly, food/wine matches to avoid. These recommendations are not cast in stone, just like wine itself, food/wine pairings are down to individual taste. I can't imagine many enjoying the metallic taste you're left with when you pair a tannic bordeaux with oily fish but, if you had braces as a child, perhaps it will give you immense pleasure recalling your childhood.

There are very few perfect matches, so never worry about finding the perfect food/wine match. There are however, some basic principles that should help you never make a bad choice when ordering wine for food.

The Theory Test

When matching food and wine all you need to do is take into consideration some easy to grasp basic principles. When you have these etched on your brain, the worry over what wine to buy for a family event or special meal will melt away like the butter in a saucepan.

1) Chewy foods go with chewy tannins. So your powerful Cabernets and a tannic Merlot would be a loving partner for steaks, beefburgers, a roast meal, a beef stew, really any dark meats.

2) Fatty and oily foods go with acidic wines. As I mentioned, if you don't want to take a white wine that is the traditional pairing then you can take an acidic Italian red. Valpolicella, Dolcetto, Chianti will all do this job. The white wines of Alsace and Riesling are a more traditional pairing.

3) Salty foods match sweet or highly acidic wines. A salty chicken soup will match up with an acidic wine, like a Chianti or a sweet wine, like Lambrusco.

4) Either match the flavour profile or contrast the flavour profile. If you've tasted a wine before and thought, "wow, that's just like oranges" then you can match it with duck l'orange for example. If you think a wine has a contrasting flavour to a food; that can work too. Try things, think about the characteristics of the wine, the weight, the acidity, richness and intensity and then think about the meal. Does it share these qualities? If so, it probably goes well. If it's the opposite, it probably goes well. If it's a hit and miss kind of thing, it'll probably bomb.

5) The quick match tick list. If all that seems too much to remember then just go with the quick match tick list. Match all these characteristics to the wine.

• Weight - heavy meals=heavy wines or light and airy foods=light wine
• Acidity - high acidity food=high acidity wine
• Sweetness - sweet food=sweet wine
• Richness - rich food=rich wine
• Flavour Intensity - strong flavours in the food=strong flavoured wine

Cheese
Cheese gets its own little subsection. Everybody loves wine and cheese they are perfect together, they are the Laurel and Hardy of food/drink combinations but even this perfect pair can go horribly wrong. Lets take some basic Italian cheese and match them up.

Parmigiano/Romano/Padova - Barbera, Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello, Chianti and a Super Tuscan
Gorgonzola and Blue Cheeses- Valpolicella, Amarone
Goats Cheese and Soft Cheeses - Sauvignon Blanc, the Northern whites.


Food and Wine Pairings from Hell

1) Tannic wines and fish - metallic and nasty, a complete no-no.
2) Subtle wines and Spicy foods - Curries or Chinese foods with lowly flavoured wines.
3) Meaty and heavy dishes with light wines - Steak and Champagne for example.

Dream matches, like white truffles and Barolo, are few and far between. Keep experimenting and maybe you will come up with your own personal dream matches. If you do, don't forget to tell me all about them.

Question of the Day
Share your food matches from heaven and your food matching mistakes.

Italian Wine Consortium

The Italian Wine world is composed of thousands of individual winemakers. 60,000 producers squeeze out 50 million hectolitres of wine each year and compete against one another to create the best Barolo, Brunello, etc etc.

This is wonderful for us, the consumer, we have a seemingly infinite choice of wines all striving for supreme quality which is what makes the Italian wine world so interesting to me. However, this is not how the rest of the world operates. In the States there are massive wine consortium's who buy up producer after producer and standardise and regulate and do such awful sanitary things that decrease my enjoyment of the wine but also, and this is the killer blow, decrease the price of the bottles. What they achieve is excellent QPR.

When I buy a bottle of wine I don't simply think about the price, my key criteria is not always even the taste, but when I buy wine I'm buying into the whole story. I want to know everything, about the grape, the conditions at the vineyard, the vintage, the producer, I am buying into the life of the wine. It's a romantic, old fashioned notion, and I am in a vast minority.

Price is what matters today. With wines from all over the world becomingly increasingly available the Italian market can not even rely on the loyalty of Italian wine drinkers anymore. Top quality wines, hand picked grapes, low yields are exceptionally expensive and this cost is passed onto the consumer. Young Italians aren't interested in the tradition or the story of the wine. They want quality wines yes, but with a jazzy label. Braida and Planeta are doing their utmost to embrace the young Italian wine drinker with cool commercials and hip marketing and are carving out a niche for themselves with the wealthy younger generation (consider a bottle of Planeta/Braida is still usually over €15)

This is a step in the right direction by Braida and Planeta but much much more needs to change. Italian wine makers need desperately to set up consortia in order to promote their wines at home and abroad. The New World is going to bite us in the ass. Not by the quality of their wine as was feared but their ability to market their products and face marketing costs together.

Take for example Chile, a hugely successful emerging wine country has only 130 producers creating some 10 million hectolitres of wine. Another example is Australia, 300 of their producers account for 75% of their total export.

Italian wine is the worlds leading importer of wine into the States but nowhere near enough is being done to fend off the New World attack. Personally I hope the Italian wine producers can strike some kind of balance. I don't want to see huge Italian wine consortium's and have an unavoidable decrease in quality with a higher importance placed on the brand yet I don't want the smaller producers to disappear unable to sell their expensive wines and unable to compete with their marketing. We're in a time of change and can't rely on the simple fact the wine is "Italian" with all the romantic notions attached to that label.

Of course none of us can tell what is going to happen in the next 5 years, whether Italy will lose its US wine drinkers crown to Australia or if we will see many smaller Italian wine makers going bust but, it looks inevitable from where I stand today. The powers that be have a chance to change the future for Italian wine and Italy's answer to Yellowtail is still up for grabs. As for me, I'll continue to support our smaller producers making some of the best quality wines in the world. Perhaps the Slow Food group should help tackle this growing problem and create a Slow Wine section to protect the threat to quality we are facing today.

Question of the day?
What criteria influence your decision to buy wine?

Italy Vs France- The Result

Well, the votes have been counted and verified and we can officially announce a shock win on behalf of Italy. The French wine was the stinker of the night and at €24 I can safely say it's among the worst bottle of wines I've tasted. The colour and nose was all Bordeaux and for a moment I thought Italy was going to be shown up! The palate was insipid, very very watery with no finish at all. This was the worst Bordeaux I've ever had. We can not really call this experiment any kind of contest but for what it was, Italy trumped up some beautiful wines. Thanks to the anonymous recommendation for this wine as the worst Bordeaux, on that you were correct. That it would be better than any Italian wine, you were very wrong!

The biggest shock of the night was the Petit Verdot, this is the wine I recommend most highly to buy at €10! This wine outshone the Barbaresco and the Brunello di Montalcino! Amazingly total agreement on the the best wine, the Petit Verdot and the worst wine, the Pauillac.

Although the first bottles were open at 4pm the food was not ready until 8pm so, to accompany the food, and because most of the wine was gone, I opened a magnum of Giacosa Barolo Falletto 1998. Everybody enjoyed this wine and it was truly exceptional. This bottle was the best Italian wine I've ever had. Maybe it's the turkey talking but I truly can't think of another bottle I've tried that beats this. Consider the fact it is still improving, I highly recommend this wine for a special occasion. The aromas flew out of the bottle with no decanting. We really should have decanted the wine as smelling the small amount left this morning it has taken on a different character but, straight out of the bottle, it was a beautiful wine.

Tasting Notes

Casale del Giglio Petit Verdot 2004 - BUY - €10

Dark purple in the glass, very deep intensity. A little timid on the nose but aromas of spice, berries and cherries with the most intense smell profile being blackberries. Shockingly refined and balanced on the palate denoting a classier wine that the price, some nice fruit on the mid palate. A really enjoyable and easy drinking wine. The lack of intensity on the nose is the reason this missed 90 points. Perfect for dinner parties. 89 Points

Fontanafredda Barbaresco 2000 - PASS - €18

Noticeabley purple/brown in the glass with some orangey hues. A lovely nose of candied cherries and vanilla extract with a hint of cinnamon. Very weak tannins and acidity through roof let this down badly, mid length finish and a medium body complete this so/so wine. Really disappointing from Fontanafredda in a stellar year for Barbaresco - 79-81 Points

Angelini Brunello di Montalcino 2001 - BUY - €30

Dark ruby, edging on purple colour with significantly lighter hues. Very expressive nose, spicy with some cherries but the most overwhelming smell is orange rind. The palate is tannic and drying but pleasantly so again with orange on the mid palate. Totally unexpected flavour profile from a Brunello which caught me off guard but nevertheless it's a very enjoyable complete wine. 90 Points

Baron Phillipe de Rothschild Pauillac 1999 - PASS - €24

Close to purple in the glass with an almost artificially sweet nose of cherries and flowers with strawberries as the standout aroma. The palate is revolting, insipid, watery, the weight of the wine and the tannic content reminded me of drinking Ribena, thin, no finish, sugar water. In fact, I would take Ribena any day over this wine, even Vimto. It's very difficult to score a wine you dislike so intensely but for colour and nose alone I give it 74 Points

Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga D'Alba 1998 - BUY - €275

From Magnum: Pale brick red colour, looks a little dirty and cloudier than the other wines we had but the hues were surprisingly dark for the age. A beautiful expressive nose the second it was uncorked, berries, cherry, strawberries; acres of ripe fruits. The palate was like velvet with complimentary tannins and exceptional length. Breathtaking. The wine came from magnum. 97 Points

As far as Italy Vs France goes it was obviously a tongue in cheek contest with only one winner possible but was an exciting experiment anyway. Everyone had fun and now we all have a new everyday drinking wine to rave about, the Casale del Giglio Petit Verdot wins the QPR award. Wines like Giacosa's Barolo are wonderful and have their place in my heart but it's the everyday drinking wines, the supermarket bargains, that can be the most exciting discoveries. After all, not every meal is a thanksgiving slap up.

Where can I buy this wine? (The Petit Verdot)

Europeans - Vinaoi - €8.30

Americans - Quality House Wines - $27

Brits - Everywine - £5.97

Question of the Day

What will you drink on Thanksgiving/Christmas day?

France Vs Italy - The Countdown

If you thought the world cup football finals were brutal they will pail in comparison to this most epic of battles.

The date: 17/11/07
The time: 6pm CET
The location: My living room
The event: Italy Vs France: Thanksgiving Drink Off.


I hope noone will be sent off, I really pray noone will be headbutted but when feelings are running as high as this, you can't rule it out. I can promise there will be pride, patriotism and tears shed and by the end of the night the champion will be crowned but will they hail from the mighty plains of the Piedmont or the "baron" wastelands of Bordeaux - a panel of 12 will decide who is the Ultimate Wine Country with myself, as the unbiased referee.


What the heck am I on about?

I've received many emails in the past few weeks with requests to review certain Italian wines and it's something I'd like to add to the blog once every week, so keep them coming!

Last night I zipped to the local supermarket and purchased some wines that have been requested these included Angelini's Brunello di Montalcino 2001, Fontanafredda Barbaresco 2000, Casale del Giglio Petit Verdot 2004 and from someone who emailed anonymously, the Baron Philippe de Rothschild Pauillac.

The last wine was something of a chicken dare because a) It's not Italian b) It's Bordeaux and c) It's the "worst" Bordeaux the nameless emailer could think of. He thinks that this wine is better than any Italian wines so I'm going to put it to the ultimate test. FIght Fight Fight!

Tonight I have 12 house guests for a "Thanksgiving Meal" and thought "what a perfect time to turn the event into a spectacle for myself! Of course I'm really excited about my first Thanksgiving meal but wine/food pairing experts will be tutting loudly at the wines on the list BUT what ya gonna do. It's all good fun and that's what counts.

French Bordeaux or a cup of tea? ----->
Tonight we have guests from England, Ireland, Italy and the States so we've eliminated our "Italian's do it best" bias (just overlook the fact we all live in Rome!) and will give the Pauillac a fair swill around our palates.

Boy o Boy am I going to feel rough tomorrow, but I won't let you down, noooooo siree! Tomorrow I'll publish the tasting notes and tell you which wines were down with the hood and which wines were down with the sink.

How you can help me?

a) If you enjoy reading the blog and would like to get involved send me your wine suggestions. If you hate the blog and just want to see me struggle like my mystery man with the Pauillac then that's fine too.

b) Send me your tasting notes, if you've tried a bottle that really impressed you or made you feel nauseous then send it in and I'll add it to the blog. No average wines though, has to be something interesting about the experience you had.

Who requested what:

Angelini Brunello di Montalcino Val di Suga 2001 - Helena Bingham - Thanks I love you!
Fontanafredda Barbaresco 2000 - Julius Fielder - I'm very happy with you.
Casale del Giglio Petit Verdot 2004 - Simon L - Interested to taste some PV tonight (:ox)
Baron Philippe de Rothschild Pauillac - Anon E Mouse - The truth will out!

Wish me luck! xxxx

Domenico Clerico - Modernista

Domenico Clerico is one of the all time greatest producers of Barolo ever, period, full stop, kaput! The wines of Domenico Clerico have been growing in stature for a number of years now reaching fever pitch with his 100 point WS Barolo Percristina 2000. Trying to find a Percristina these days is something of a challenge with everywhere sold out or whacking a stinky €300 price tag on the bottle. It was good, no, it was great, but €300 gets me a case of Tignanello (I'm still psyched about that... NUMBER 4 baby).

Barolo was once ruled by the G-Men, being Angelo Gaja and Bruno Giacosa. These days there is a whole top flight of Barolo producers including Domenico Clerico that have revolutionised the production of Barolo. Clerico, Scavino, Roberto Voerzio (him again!) and Marco Parusso are a generation of Barolo producers with a friendly rivalry. Their competition has been our gain as they push each other to producer better and better wines.

For those who don't know there are two schools of Barolo production, the Modern school Vs the Traditional school. Both are capable of producing great wines with a number of other top flight producers taking the best of both schools. Clerico is a pace setter in the Modern camp.

Clerico's wines are experimental improvements year on year and he doesn't rest on his laurels even when striking gold (a 100 point Wine Spectator review). In his most recent Barolos, Clerico has extended the maceration time of the grapes to 23 days. It will be very interesting to see how this effects the wine, though we will have to wait until 2010 before the Barolos are released to see.

Domenico Clerico's vineyards are scattered throughout the Piedmont and he produces many different wines. The Barolo of the Ginestra vineyards is the most consistently excellent (Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra) but you can't go wrong with a Percristina or Pajana Barolo.

If the €100+ price tags on these wines are a little daunting, then you can sample the excellence of Domenico Clericos production by trying his Barbera, Dolcetto and the famous Langhe Art, a barrique blended but most Nebbiolo wine. The Langhe Art retails at about €20 and I recommend this to all of you! Unless you are allergic to wine, then just stay away. My guilty passion is Dolcetto though, and these go for around €10, very tasty, try it.

Domenico Clerico is my 2nd favourite producer and I don't have as much experience of his wines as I would like with only a couple of tasting notes available SO, I will get some Clerico's in the house and get a full set review for Christmas.

I am away on my holidays (or vacation for the americans among you) from next Friday so the entries will be less frequent BUT I will make up for this with my VIDEO WINE DIARY!

Domenico Clerico Percristina 2000 - BUY - €190

Lovely deep ruby colour in the glass with splendid aromas of over-ripe fruit, earth and cedar. Almost royally full bodied and opulent on the palate, huge but smooth tannic quality, super long finish with oak and cherries on the mid palate. Leave it alone for 10 years. 96 Points+

Domenico Clerico Langhe Arte 2005 - BUY
Thick, jammy and purple in the glass the nose is a sweet mixture of flowers, cherries, tobacco and a little spice box. Lavishly full bodied and mouth coating the palate is a pleasurable blackcurrent jam attack. Nice length on the finish, alcohol hidden well. Easy drinking and pleasurable today. 91 Points

Although I'm recommending you to BUY the Percristina it is a very expensive wine so I will steer you towards the Arte in the commercial section of this blog!

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Enoteca Grani Vini - €22

Americans - Vinfolio - €44

Brits - Justerini - £20

Question of the Day?

Have you ever tried Barolo, and if so, which is the best Barolo that you've tried?

Tignanello 2004 Antinori - #4 Wine Spectator 2007

Whoop Whoop and Praise the Lord for Tignanello. Man am I one happy chicky! Wine Spectator have crowned the Tignanello 2004 the #4th best wine released this year and not only do I own it, stock it, sell it and love it; it's cheap as chips! Well, relatively. The chips in London definitely!

So here it is, in all its divine glory, the Tignanello 2004. I've already reviewed it on another board so just a copy and paste job left for my final entry today.

Who is going to take that number 1 spot, I almost hope its not another Italian wine now but what about the Guado al Tasso if the Tignanello gets 4th! I'm so excited I could just play the bongos on a bald mans head.

< ---- Beautiful Buy it NOW! Buy a 12 case Now! Gonna go up massively in price.

Oh, oh look, there's me and what do I have on the table .... that's right Tignanello 2004. Fateful! It's like me and Jame Suckling could be the same person, I know that's what you are thinking. Our taste buds are aligned we both are plummy Brits living in Italy, simply uncanny!

So, and to the review! Let me just fumble around in Corkd.... let me see.

OK here we go... SEE MY CORKD REVIEW

Antinori Tignanello 2004 - BUY

Deep ruby red color, the Tignanello '04 looks like class before you even pick up the glass. The nose is exceptionally fresh and quickly gives up aromas of blackcurrent, spices, herbs, cherries and tobacco. A well balanced, smooth palate has perfect tannins and a smooth, long finish. Superb. (SN - 11/07) 94 Points

Where can I buy this wine? - (and buy it now, today, quickly)

Europeans - Di Leva - €50

Americans - Internet Wines - $67.05

Brits - The Cellar Door - £38

I never do that, I never recommend a wine from The Cellar Door unless it truly is the cheapest available to the market. You can check www.wine-searcher.com to verify my validity and validness and validociousness.

Question of the Day?

Am I naughty to recommend you to my own company? :o(

Italian Wine Ebay

The British abuse alcohol. We abuse alcohol so much that we can not buy wines on Ebay like the rest of the world, France, Germany, Italy and even the USA Ebays all sell wine. They all sell Italian wine. They all sell really good discounted Italian wine and us Brits are missing out. OK so the few that abuse alcohol have ruined it for the great many but what's new there? Or maybe this isn't the reason and it's simply our nanny state that has put this ban on Ebay. In a country where you can't smoke a cigarette in your own car, you would have to wonder.

Well, whilst I feel sorry for my fellow countrymen, I live in Italy so can take advantage of the wonders of Italian Ebay. Just to rub it in a little further I'm going to show you exactly what you're missing.

I've been buying wine from Ebay for a few months now and I have two super trooper Italian Wine prize purchases that I have to share with you.

Firstly, 2 MAGNUMS of Bruno Giacosa 1998 Barolo Falletto for €80 each.
Secondly 1 MAGNUM of Roberto Voerzio 1998 Barolo Sarmassa for €90.

To buy both these bottles in the UK you're looking at £373.00 for the Giacosa (Fine and Rare) and £234 for the Voerzio also from Fine and Rare.

Today, as of 10am 15/11/07, Ebay has 2000 different auctions online selling wines from all over Italy. Right now, we have Wine Spectators 7th wine of 2007 the Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia at €60! This is a crazy price and I'm sure, with just a few hours left to run, the price wont reach €80.

Apart from the brilliant wine you can find on the Ebay, it's just real fun. I love drinking wine but almost as much I love buying wine and I adore getting wine on a steal. It's something of a high to spot a really great value wine with the auction end in sight and put in that last 30 second bid and gazzump poor Joe Schmoe. It's addictive.

I can highly recommend checking out the Italian Ebay, some members will post to the UK, you just have to ask them in advance. All the bottles I've bought have been fine but it's best to buy from a trusted seller, one with many positive reviews. Just don't outbid me, alright?

Italian Wine News - Week 12/07/07

Italian Wine has news? Of course it does and I'm going to keep you updated on all the interesting little stories about Italian wine that crop up each week. So, without further ado, what is in the Italian Wine News this week?

Italian Wine is reaping the rewards of the current fashion in the USA to embrace all things Italian and scooped two prestigious awards last night from the American US magazine, Wine Enthusiast. Carlo Ferrini won "Enologist of the Year" and Josh Mariani, founder of Banfi, won the lifestyle achievement award.

Other award winners were

• Persons of the Year: Ray Chadwick, Diageo Chateau & Estate Wine


• American Winery of the Year: DFV Wines


• European Winery of the Year: Symington Family Estates, Portugal


• New World Winery of the Year: Villa Maria, New Zealand


• Importer of the Year: E & J Gallo


• Distiller of the Year: Casa Herradura, Brown-Forman


• Retailer of the Year: Whole Foods Market


• Winemaking Region of the Year: Rioja, Spain

The award ceremony will take place on January 28, 2008 during the Gala Dinner at the New York Public Library.

$34,000 for a 9 litre bottle of Ornellaia
Record-breaking auction to restore Florence baptistery doors - Bolgheri’s Tenuta dell Ornellaia celebrated their twentieth year with a bang in New York City following the sale of a bottle of Salmanazar for $33,600 (400 times its market value) at a Christie’s auction. The one-of-a-kind nine-litre bottle featured a pure gold silkscreen in place of a label.

The winners were a Seattle couple that had gone to the auction with the intention of bidding on Lot Number 8 - the only bottle of Italian wine on the docket. The 2005 Ornellaia won’t hit shelves until May 2008, thereby giving the buyers a unique preview of this prestigious wine.

“We were the only Italian product in an auction containing more than 200 wines and champagnes,” said estate general manager, Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja. The newest feature was the bottle’s never-before-seen shape and size, which was made expressly for this occasion”.

Proceeds from the sale were donated to American non-profit association, Friends of Florence, and will be used to restore Giovanni Francesco Rustici’s statues on the doors of the Baptistery of Florence.

Tuscan reds to be produced in the Big Apple

Crespina and Staten Island team up - The first Tuscan red ‘Made in New York’ are set to be produced within the next three years.

A full harvest is expected by the fourth year thanks to the Tuscan Garden Vineyard - a project brought about thanks to the sister cities agreement between Crespina (near Pisa) and Staten Island, New York.

The city’s botanical gardens will be home to two acres of Tuscan vineyards with 2,100 vines divided into 58 traditional Tuscan rows.

The vines - which are native Tuscans but cannot be exported directly from Italy due to American sanitation laws - will be purchased from the largest Italian grower in the United States (based in California).

The Tuscan Garden Vineyard will host a Tuscan wine shop and will be an information centre for Tuscan wines in general, including publications on the subject as well as hosting oenology and wine tasting courses.

Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 2004 - Wine Spectators #7 2007

Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 2004 - #7

The first Italian wine to make it into Wine Spectators TOP 10 of 2007 is really not a surprise to those in Italian wine. The Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 2004 from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia got 97 points from James Suckling. This is a blended wine from the Tuscan coast in the Bordeaux tradition so was bound to tickle the tastebuds of Senoir Suckling.


Trully it is a wonderful wine but with the Barolo's of 2003 lacking in majesty it's probably up to our old chum Brunello to save the day.

Red wines so far dominate Wine Spectators revealed Top 10 (WS is revealing the Top 10 from the bottom up, 2 each day) with no white wines in places 10 to 5 and just one champagne.

Everyone is trying to guess what the number #1 will be, but I really have no idea. Do you?

Where can I buy this wine?
Europeans - Di Liva - €100
Americans - PJ Wine - $149
Brits - Antique Wine Company - £100

Barbera Wine

Barbera Wine

It's a hardy little grape, the Barbera. When Nebbiolo has a bad year; step forward Barbera. So much of it was planted in the Piedmont over the past 20 years that someones hard work and dedication to the grape would surely pay off. It did. Barbera wine, in my mind, is one of the best value wines we currently have in Italy. Most famously and expertly portrayed in Braida's wines, the Barbera grape is lovingly tended even by some of Piedmont's top producers like Roberto Voerzio (I must mention him each day!), Giacomo Conterno, Altare, La Spinetta and Scavino.

Once derided as a "rustic" wine, (though Rustic sounds nice to me it was meant as an insult!) it was thought too harsh and lacking finesse to ever be considered a fine wine. Thats changed in the last 10 years with some Parker and Wine Spectator scores pushing 95 and the producers bringing forward Barbera's fruity character and masking it's "rustic" one.

Personally I love Barbera, I love the flavours, I love the fruit but most of all I love the price tag. Consider Briada's fantastic Bricco dell'Uccellone, a 92 point wine on my scoreboard, can be found for under €30. That's good going compared to a Barolo or Brunello from a top producer.

The skinny on Barbera Wine

The Barbera grape covers a large area of the Piedmont and is planted in an area 3 times larger than Barolo & Barbaresco combined. The most famous of wines from the Barbera grapes are Barbera d'Asti and Barbera d'Alba. Barbera wine is very fruity and plummy but doesn't have great ageing capacity YET. I say YET because Barbera is a work in progress with many in the Piedmont firmly believing in its potential.

The most celebrated producer is Braida as they produce only Barbera wines at exceptional quality levels but the acclaimed "numero uno" bottle produced in the region is mostly agreed to be Voerzio's Barbera Ris Pozzo dell'Annunziata . Today I'm going to pull out two tasting notes on Barbera and give a consumers guide on where to buy Barbera.

Braida Barbera d'Asti Bricco dell'Uccellone 2001 - BUY

Deep and intense dark purple in the glass the Barbera has a pungent nose of berries, spices and licorice. A really fruity and enjoyable palate with excellent depth of flavour and a fine knockout finish. It's got that "you know you've been tango'd" element. Big wine. 92 Points.

R.Voerzio Barbera d'Alba Riserva Vigneto Pozzo dell'Annunziata 2000 - BUY

Drinking in 2007 the Barbera seems to be at its perfect age. Dark purple in the glass with grand aromas of blackberries,plums, licorice and coffee. Big wine on the palate, textured, balanced, thick & lustrous, velvety tannins in a full bodied masterpiece. Buy but only for drinking today and only for the experience as the wine sells for $400+ in magnum. 94 Points

Where can I buy this wine?

For value I am recommending the Briada wine and you can find it at the online stores below.

Europeans - N&M Weine - €29.75

Americans - Mount Carmel - $59.99

Brits - Lay and Wheeler - £32.00

Question of the Day?

Recommend a wine to me!

Italian Wine

Italian wine is what this blog is all about right? Then today's blog is going to go through the fundamentals of Italian wine. When was Italian wine first producer? Who is the most important producer of Italian wine? Who drinks the most Italian wine?

So when did it all begin?

Italy has been producing wine as far back as records show. The ancient Etruscans were the first to plant vines but it fell to the Romans to create an Italian wine superpower. At the height of their powers most of Italy was planted with vines and they had created a blueprint for the current Italian winescape. Almost all the areas where we currently find wine were already producing 2000 years ago. The Romans embraced wine more than any other civilisation and wine was drunk daily in all walks of life. Roman wine was stored and traded in giant amphorae (SEE ABOVE). They even knew the secrets of ageing wine with records from the time showing how aged wine was preferred and more expensive. During Roman times the greatest and most exclusive vineyards were in the vicinity of Rome and ran along a strip southwards to Naples following the Via Appia. As the empire expanded, trade routes opened and roman roads took hold allowing greater access to the whole of Italy and mainland Europe. Vineyards in Tuscany and the Veneto began to catch up with wines from around the capital and the great Augustus would today have been an Amarone fan as he favoured the wines of the Veneto.

When Rome fell and Italy was awash with Barbarians it saw the end of fine wines for an extended period although the vineyards did not fall into disuse. The luxurious Roman lifestyle was gone and wine was treated as a beverage and not a commodity. In the middle ages there was less exporting of wines, even internally, and the citizens of Rome would drink wine produced within a certain radius of the capital.

In the 14th century Italy began once more to find her feet. The population doubled and many moved into the cities creating booming city states. There formed an elite, educated class who went on to create fabulous cathedrals, fountains and monuments. Italy was divided into city states with Venice being the most important. This was a time of philosophers, merchants, explorers and painters and such fine people need great wine!

The famous Florentine banking family, the Antinori's, decided to diversify and went into the wine trade. Today Antinori's vineyards are still the most celebrated in Italy producing such brilliant wines as the Tignanello, Solaia and Guado al Tasso. It was during this time that fine wines became seen as a symbol of status and the perfection of viticulture; a passion.

Skipping forward to today, we can consider Antinori to be the most important wine producer in Italian history but the House of Antinori is not the most important wine producer of today. That honour falls to Angelo Gaja.

Who is the most important producer of Italian wine?

Angelo Gaja gets it. Italian wine makers are generally not the most commercially aggressive creatures and neither are the powers that be within the Italian system. Horrified that Italians have begun exploring the wines of France, Australia and even, (the shame), California, the Italian producers need to step up their game to keep their home market. Italy has fallen to 5th in the UKs favourite wine market tables and all looks rather bleak. Step forth Angelo Gaja.

Gaja is on a one man mission to revitalise Italian wine. He works tirelessly promoting his brands at home and abroad and has a cult following. A poignant note in the history of Gaja is the example of his Darmagi wine. Darmagi in Italian means "shame", this was the words uttered to Gaja from his grandfather when he experimented with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in his Piedmont vineyards.

These experiments set the scene for Gaja vineyards across the Piedmont and Tuscany and today Gaja produces the finest blended wines in the country. They may be inspired by Bordeaux but they are made with Italian flair and show the importance of Italy's terroir. In honour of Signor Gaja, today's tasting note will be for his Darmagi.

Who drinks the most Italian wine?

Well, it might surprise you but actually Italy drinks the vast majority of it. However after this we can count on four other markets. Germany is a huge importer of Italian wine. Anyone in the wine business will know of the famous wholesalers and excellent websites that sell Italian wine. German Ebay also has a glut of Italian wine daily and if you live in Germany you have to check this out as many great wines are going for less than I can buy here in Italy.

Next on the list is France, if Germany was a shock in top spot then France in second is even more bizarre. There is no love lost between these two great rivals but it seems the French buyers like to dabble with Italian wine, importing over 5 million hectolitres a year.

Way behind but in third is the USA. This is the fastest growing market for Italian exports and while the Americans don't drink anywhere near as much wine as they do beer, Italian wine is their #1 imported wine! I always said the Americans were a nation of supreme taste!

Trailing in fourth, my home nation, the British. We have no real wine of our own and our love affair with claret continues but Italian wine is falling way behind, Australian, California and now Chilean imports! It might be the fifth largest importer but still over 1 million hectolitres a year make their way to British shores.

Gaja Darmagi 1997 - BUY - €106
Very dark purple, close to black but beginning to lighten with age, this Darmagi is my favourite ever produced from a super vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon with 4% Cabernet Franc this comes forth in the nose of blackcurrents and oak mixed with tobacco and vanilla. It's on the palate where this wine really show's quality with a kinder acidity and well balanced tannins. Full bodied and lustrous with a long and fruity finish. Needs another 5 years to be at its best. 94 Points

Where can I buy this wine?
Europeans - Bracali Distribuzione - €106
Americans - McArthur Beverages - $180
Brits - Fine and Rare - £89

Question of the day?

What has been the worst bottle of wine you have drunk all year?

Prosecco

Prosecco, the white sparkling wine of choice for so many young Italians and, an increasing number of Europeans is a mystery to me. Personally I don't see the appeal of Prosecco. Even at the top end I simply can't get into it. Everyone around me is ordering Prosecco, meats and cheeses and enjoying the Roman sun and all my palate can say is "what the hell are you doing to me?". This comes from someone who hates Champagne so please on this occasion, don't let me put you off. I've had more requests to profile Prosecco than any other wine. My company sells more Prosecco than Barolo and I have some extensive tasting notes to share later.

I suppose I've had too much exposure to the very worst of Prosecco and writing about it now makes me physically wince. It's a clawing cheesy wine! Prosecco got another chintzy shot in the arm last year when Paris Hilton became the face of "Rich" Prosecco. Click here if you want to know more.

Give Prosecco its dues. At least it's a dry sparkling wine and at least it wont break the bank. My partner loves the stuff and picks it up at the local Carrefour for 87 cents. To me, it has the same appeal as two aspirins dancing in tap water but at this price, at least she is a cheap date.

Lets quickly explain, for those who don't know, what Prosecco is. Made from white grapes in the Veneto area (near Venice) of Italy, Prosecco is a fizzy dry D.O.C wine. Stupidly high crop yields are responsible for the dirge of awful Prosecco on the market but we will focus on the best of the varietal. Every year 30,000,000 bottles are produced so you shouldn't have trouble getting your hands on one!

So, who are the Kings of Prosecco? If you really must drink the stuff, who does it well? The best producers of Prosecco in my mind is Bisol & Frozza. Both these producers are consistently good even scoring 90 points with a Prosecco (an achievement indeed). Part of Prosecco's appeal is the price but you can get these superior wines, that are the best of the varietal, for around €20. I can't think of another wine varietal where the "best in show" goes for €20?

So without further ado, let's look at my past tasting notes for Prosecco.

Aneri Prosecco 2005 - BUY - €6

Light golden straw colour with green hues and a pale intensity. Enjoyable apple-esque nose, fruity with lemon peel and menthol. On the palate is exceptionally smooth with good acidity and a refreshing finish. Lacks tartness. 87 Points

Bisol Prosecco 2006 - BUY - €20

Perfect balance and extraordinarily light a real finesse Prosecco with a slight Chardonnay feel. Pineapple, creamy orange peel and honey in a mid weight sparkling wine. Happily impressed. 90 Points

Frozza Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Col dell'Orso 2006 - BUY - €8

Sensational palate for a Prosecco giving loads of citrus fruits and honey. It's got a spicy kick to it too. Great acidity, a real palate cleanser makes a perfect choice for spicy meat platters and bland cheeses. Excellent value for money. 89 Points

Where can I buy this wine?

The best retailers for Prosecco are....

Europeans - Superiore.de

Americans - Wine.com

Brits - Jerobaums.co.uk

Question of the Day

Prosecco is a great wine to take with food, what food matches do you enjoy with Prosecco or any sparkling whites?

Lazio Wine

Lazio wines are probably the hardest working wines in Italy, for it's Lazio that has the desire, the will and the soil to be the next break out region. It will always be a mystery to me why Lazio is overlooked for red wine, that the county that borders both Tuscany and Campania was doomed to producing cheapy whites for the millions in the capital.

I apologise to all those who enjoy Frascati, but please, try some Cava yes? I won't apologise to anyone who likes Est! Est!! Est!!!, in fact, you may leave :oP. These rather poor whites have taken up so much production and marketing time in Lazio that they had forsaken their wonderful soil, following the limiting DOC classifications, (that have forced Lazio into this white wine hell) and simply supplying Rome.

Times are a changing! Falesco have moved in and old guard producers have recruited fresh blood from France, Spain and California to revamp their vineyards and soup up their marketing efforts even bringing in foreign vines too. Now you can not just buy red wine from Lazio, you can buy great red wine, and not just Cabs, Merlots and Syrahs but even excellent blended wines AND the most happy news of all? They lack the price tags of Tuscanys ITG's.

Lazio's volcanic soils produce wonderful red wines and if Falesco have moved in we can expect other bordering giants to do the same, perhaps it won't be too long before Antinori and Gaja begin showing an interest in this relatively cheap area. In the meantime we can enjoy the wines of the highly successful Casale del Giglio and Falesco a few of which are reviewed below.

Undoubtedly the best wine of the region is the Falesco Montiano, but sadly my local wine shop had sold out so I didn't get to review it for this blog entry. :o(

San Marco Solo Shiraz 2005 - BUY - €8
Dark ruby red with some brown hues, nice colour of medium intensity. Spicy, flashy nose of cherries with a hint of orange, cinnamon and spicebox. A nice palate, very fruity with a good balance, a little acidic with medium body. A good value wine, a little too simplistic but pleasant and fruity nonetheless. Worth a try for the money. 88 Points

Casale del Giglio Chardonnay 2006 - PASS - €10
Light straw colour with some greenish hues. Not much of a nose with some strange earthy character with apples and citrus fruits. Not unpleasant but a strange Chardonnay, none of the normal qualities of the grape. Fresh and clean palate with a short finish. 82 Points

Casale del Giglio Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 - PASS - €24
Dark purple colour with some nice berry/cassis aromas with some dried fruits in there too. Very high quality nose and a great colour, the palate is not as impressive. Still has some nice tannins and plenty of fruit and a good thick body. I can't recommend this wine simply because it isn't as good as the '01 or the '04. Find the other vintages and then you have a great wine. 89 Points +

Falesco Tellus 2006 - BUY - €6
Smart, blended wine that ticks all the boxes for wine under $10. Deep ruby red, not far from a purple colour with a full nose of licorice, mint, cherries, tobacco and vanilla, even some espresso in there too. Charming palate with silky tannins and a lot of fruit. Its simplistic, there are not multiple layers to this wine but it's a good quality solid red with excellent QPR. 87 Points

Where can I buy the wine? - (Casale del Giglio Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - 92 points)

Europeans - Enoteca Costantini

Americans - Quality House Wine - $34

Brits - No british retailer selling the wine, so go through Enoteca Costantini

Question of the Day?

Of course, I'm joking about Est! Est!! Est!!! (half joking), is there any wine that you love to hate?

Sardinia Wine

Anyone who has been to Sardinia can not help but be impressed by the sheer beauty of the place. The whitewash buildings, the golden beaches and crystal clear waters are just idyllic and with this backdrop the wine is romanticised. When I drink Sardinian wine it takes me back to that photograph in my mind, the warm sun, the Mediterranean olive oil, tomatos to die for and all my sense come alive remembering my first experiences of Sardinia and its wine.

However, historically, Sardinia just wasn't that bothered about making wine. Don't get me wrong, compared to Botswana, it's bothered, but compared to most other Italian regions, it simply never got its act together. Despite being blessed with 19 D.O.C wines, fantastic soil and the grape varieties of two major countries, Sardinia really just couldn't muster the energy to get serious.

10 Years ago BAM Sardinia joined the Italian wine party. Now every supermarket or small wine shop has a Sardinian range, thanks mostly to the efforts of some of the more famous winemakers (Argiolas especially). Years ago it would have been hard to find a wine from Sardinia (internationally) but the re-emergence of their D.O.C wines in the last 10 years has been phenomenal. Sardinia has 19 D.O.C wines, that is more than Umbria or Sicily, it's a big advantage and one that Sardinia is now exploiting.

Wines of Sardinia

The island of Sardinia is located in between Italy and Spain (closer to Italy) and as such has taken the best parts of both countries as any Sardinian tourist can tell you. It's the most isolated wine region of Italy and as such produces some "out-there" wines away from the eyes of Rome. These idiosyncratic wines can be very peculiar to the Italian wine enthusiast but nevertheless are interesting to discover.

Sardinia's special location between Spain and Italy has lent a mix of influences over the years and this can be seen when visiting the island in its food, architecture and its wine. Grapes from Spain were brought over to Sardinia and are still used to today in the islands most famous red wine, Cannonou, the Sardinian answer to Spanish Grenache. Traditionally high in alcohol with a unique flavour.

Sardinia also has one exceptional wine operating outside of the classification system, the Turriga wine has enjoyed remarkable success both at home and abroad.

In the white wine corner we have Vermentino di Gallura, Sardinia's only D.O.C.G wine is notable, a delicate, fruity wine with an almond, butterscotch nose. White wines dominate the D.O.C classifications to reds in Sardinia 2:1 but only Moscato di Sardegna and Nuragus di Cagliari are of any calibre.

TN to follow Cannonou, Turriga, Vermentino di Gallura, Moscato di Sardegna and Nuragus di Cagliari.

Italian Wine Blog - Competition

Ciao Chianti Clinkers,

Competition time! I'm giving away a case of Italian Wine to anybody, with or without a blog, who can provide me with the most ridiculous or humorous Italian wine tasting note.

I'm a generous blog person and so a mixed case of Italian wine will go to the absolute best note, judged by me and the winner will be posted here 3 weeks from today. Sadly this is only open to people who read this blog in the UK and Europe as I can't send wine to the USA without getting busted.

I'll also review the wine here to see if the note actually carrys any validity so please, no really old Italian wines! The wine will be provided by The Cellar Door - check them out.

The tasting note can be on any Italian wine, Barolo, Primitivo, Brunello, Chianti, Soave, Pinot Grigio whatever, but I prefer big reds and as I have to drink the wine, well, I'm not saying anything more! EYES LEFT! j/k

Send your entries to wine90@gmail.com and mark the heading "Competition Italian Tasting Note".

Tomorrow's blog hasn't been decided yet but Saturdays is the long awaited (by me anyway) review of bizarros.... Lazio Pinot Noirs, Cabs etc. This is going to be seriously interesting. Did you know all Lazio's D.O.C's are for white wine! Does anyone know why? Seems perfect for Reds to me!

Sarah

Barbaresco 2004 - Gambero Rosso 2008

Buongiorno Barbaresco Buds

Welcome to another thrilling NEY fascinating NEY riviting edition of the Wine90 Italian wine blog with me, your messed up wine-geek-freak Sarah E Newton (My holiday is 15 days away and I'm molto excitable). Today we're going to look at Barbaresco and the admirably bizarre Gambero Rosso and their right on recommendations for 2008. Now, don't be misled, these are Barbaresco wines that were from the 2004 vintage and hit the stores this year.

As you all know, I live in Rome so I'm very naturally swayed in the favour of all things Italian and will ride up and defend anything promoting Italian wine and I love Gambero Rosso, with a passion. BUT, how can you rank a wine out of 3! Seriously? Wine is meant to be ranked out of 100, Parker showed us the light and now we all rate out of 100. It's like asking the ice dancers to be rated ABC, no fun and no fair!

I know many hate the Parker way of scoring, "how can you really say this wine is 87 points and not 88 points" but Gambero Rosso's scoring system is just too limited. I want to know my 3/3 wine i a 98+ point wine and it could be, or it could be an 90 point wine and there is a world of difference in 90 to 98. This is one tradition I'd like to see Gambero Rosso let go.

Gambero Rosso also rate wines in peer groups which many people hate but I think must be carried out, how interesting would a list be that simply read Gaja, Gaja, Giacosa, Giacosa, and left out really important wines from the south? There is rarely a vineyard left out of the guide infact!

Gambero Rosso is also extremely political in their awards and make no excuses for it (very Italian) but still, the awards are useful as a reference and must be taken in context that GR is fairly bias and awards points in peer groups. At the very least the books contain interesting information on featured wines so the GR guide is a must buy for all Italian wineheads. The book contains vintage reports and is always a year infront of Parker and Wine Spectator who seems to take a full year to publish their reviews, probably because Italian wine isn't high on their priority list.

Here are the 2008 results - these wines receive Tre Bicchiere, the highest award possible.

PIEDMONT

Barbaresco ’04 Cantina del Pino

Barbaresco ’04 Gaja

Barbaresco Bric Balin ’04 Moccagatta

Barbaresco Coparossa ’04 Bruno Rocca

Barbaresco Currà ’04 Sottimano

Barbaresco Gallina ’04 Oddero

Barbaresco Rombone ’04 Fiorenzo Nada

Barbaresco Ronchi ’04 Ronchi

Barbaresco S. Stefanetto ’04 Piero Busso

Barbaresco Sorì Burdin ’04 Fontanabianca

Barbaresco Sorì Paitin ’04 Paitin

Barbaresco V. Starderi ’04 La Spinetta

Barbaresco V. Valeirano ’04 La Spinetta

Barbaresco Valgrande ’04 Ca' del Baio

Barbaresco Vign. in Montestefano Ris. ’01

Produttori del Barbaresco Barbaresco Vign. Loreto ’04 Albino Rocca

I own just one solitary bottle of Gaja Barbaresco 2004 but also have a tasting note from last month. Had to decant this wine for several hours before it showed anything so this TN is from a 6 hour decanted wine.

Gaja Barbaresco 2004 - BUY

Fascinating aromas - raspberries and blackberries pouring forth on the nose with a hint of spices and tobacco. Full bodied with feminine silky, round tannins, an encapsulating finish of exceptional length. One of the best Barbarescos I've ever tried. Give it another 5 years. 94 Points

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - Enoteca Grandi Vini - €90

Americans - Wine Pavilion - $149

Brits - Fine & Rare - £77

Question of the Day?

Gaja is the undisputed king of Barbaresco but do you have another favourite producer?

Roberto Voerzio Barolo - 98 Vintage Revisited

Roberto Voerzio Barolo 1998 Tasting Notes

It's going to be hard to write PASS against any Roberto Voerzio Barolo. If you can lay your hands on some of this rare and exclusive wine then really you should. These are some of the finest Barolos currently on the market and the 98 vintage was a superb across the board for RV Barolos.

I was lucky enough to try a range of '98 Barolos at a meeting in Rome last month and have a couple of Mags of the Sarmassa scurried away for another day.

What follows are my attempted TNs on the 98 vintage. After the initial 4 glasses things started to become a little hazy and suddenly I loved everybody in the room, but, that's just the effect these wines have and NOT because I was drunk.

Roberto Voerzio Barolo Sarmassa di Barolo 1998 - BUY

Lively and vivacious ruby red colour and still possessing very dark hues around the glass edge. Powerful aromas of tobacco and mocha with some spices and cinnamon coming through. The palate is seriously jammy with fruit concentrate coming through in spades, full bodied and luxurious tannins culminate in a 30 second finish that is memorable and satisfying. I bought two of these in magnum so I really do put my money where my mouth is with this baby. 96 Points

Roberto Voerzio Barolo Le Serra 1998 - PASS
Perfect ruby red colour with much lighter hues, the Barolo La Serra has an interesting nose of chocolate, cherries and spicebox. The palate is very tannic, aggressive and austere it clearly needs more time. R.V Barolo La Serra is normally better than this, for me, and considering the price, this is a pass. 90 Points

Roberto Voerzio Barolo Brunate 1998 - BUY

An intense ruby red with brown/orange hues the Brunate is giving off super complexity with aromas of blackberries and cherries laced with mineral, licorice, tobacco, vanilla and pepper. This is a wine for nose people, seriously generous and complex. Yet the palate is more delicate, definitely tannic but it suits the wine. Suitably big finish with a super long length. A gentle giant, the Barolo Brunate offers masculine characteristics with a feminine and beautiful touch. I'm excited about this wine, its very good QPR esp for a R.V. 95 Points

Roberto Voerzio Barolo Cerequio 1998 - PASS
Intense dark ruby red with garnet hues. Very giving with aromas of roses, plums and spicebox. Still quite tannic needing another 5 years the Barolo is a little sweet for my tastes. Very fruity and jammy it will certainly please others. Very rich this is a wine for superior foods and special occasions. Structurally excellent with an amazing length on the finish, just not to my personal tastes. 92 Points

Roberto Voerzio Barolo Riserva Vecchie Viti dei Capalot Barolo 1998 - BUY

Super intense, dense purple colour with an all out attack on the nose. Berries, spices, jam and licorice merge to produce a really beautiful nose that can produce hours of entertainment. Full bodied in the palate with a big fruity character and a big finish. Jammy little fruit bomb waiting to go off, nicely worked tannins in a loose silky texture. Little hints of coffee on the mid palate. Cult wine at cult prices. Magnum only. 94 Points.

Writing about wine is great, except when I've finished I'm so worked up about the wines I want to pour another glass! I promised the Planeta range which we'll do actually next week and also some Cabernet Sauvignons and Pinot Noirs from Lazio! I'm really looking forward to that should be a very interesting experiment. I already asked a question of the day which I'll post again. Over and out!

Where can I buy this wine?

Advice is for the Barolo Brunate which is the highest rank in 75cl bottles.

Europeans - Weinhaus Schachner - €98

Americans - Bottle Shop - $150

Brits - Fine and Rare - £72

Question of the Day

Do you have a specific producer or bottle of wine that changed the way you drunk wine? How did it change and was it for the better?

Roberto Voerzio Wine

Ciao Winehounds,

Roberto Voerzio? I'm not going to make an apology for this even if it is somewhat self indulgent but today's topic of choice is the wines of Roberto Voerzio, my personal favourite Piedmont producer (ignoring the Dolcetto of an earlier blog entry!).

For those who don't know, Roberto Voerzio is a tiny producer of just 30,000 bottles a year operating in the Piedmont region of Italy. Below is the basic QT on Roberto, then some reviews of his Barolos together with a recommended retailer.

Why are Roberto Voerzio wines so damn fine?
In 1987 Roberto Voerzio left the family wine business and created his own label. The most important thing Roberto did was purchase some of the best vineyards in the area for first growth Barolo. This decision to purchase only the very best is typical of Voerzio's wine making methods. His remarkable attention to detail for each and every vine in what sets his wines apart from other "mass produced" Barolos. All procedures in the vineyards are carried out by hand.

Roberto intends to limit the stress on the grapes at every stage of the wine making cycle. The yields are extremely low with only the very best grapes making the final cut. These labour intensive methods create the very best Barolo but are also very costly and justify the price tag. This style of wine making can be considered almost artistic and this is why his wines are treated like masterpieces and sell for incredible sums at auction. A Roberto Voerzio from a top year can go for $1000 a bottle. Another reason; the tiny production makes the wine rare and owning a Roberto Voerzio Barolo from a golden year carries some kudos with wine aficionados.

My personal journey with R.V wines started three years ago at a London Hotel restaurant in Mayfair where the sommelier steered my choice away from the Domenico Clerico. That night I tried the 1996 Barolo Cerequio and my drinking habits would change forever. It was the first wine that inspired me to scribble down a quick tasting note. So Roberto Voerzio started my love affair with Italian wine. Those who know me from Erob or Corkd will know that this wine is also my avatar. I tried this wine again in July and it was better than I remembered.

Roberto Voerzio Barolo Cerequino 1996 - BUY

Beautiful purple/ruby colour with dark hues. Vibrant aromas of black fruits with vanilla and a mineral quality. On the palate the wine is a monster, full bodied and tannic suggesting another 10 years ageing is needed. Contemplative palate with many flavour sets, generously fruity. Superb Barolo - 96 Points. (07/11)

When I initially tried this wine 3 years ago it was a little backwards and very tannic but has since began to show improvement though still I would leave this alone for 5-10 years.

Where can I buy this wine?

Europeans - WineTip - €110

Americans - Crush - $179 - (No '96 available for states, this is '97 and some say better)

Brits - Four Walls - £89 (No '96 or '97 but a '98)

I told you these wines are rare! However, 96,97,98 were a series of 3 five star vintages in the Piedmont so they are all going to be real quality.

Question of the Day

Do you have a specific producer or bottle of wine that changed the way you drunk wine? How did it change and was it for the better?

Italian Vines

Hello Italian Wine Freaks,

More wine is produced in Italy than any other country but Italy doesn't have the highest drinking ratio, best grape yields or the most planted vineyards in the world. Rather it has a high combination of all these factors. Today I'm going to astound you with some hot "wine facts" that will make you spin in your chair! I stand accused of writing this Italian wine blog assuming the reader knows much already. So today's blog is meant to give some background on Italian wines.

Yesterday's red was the Castello di Camigliano 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon and I'll post the review at the bottom of the page.

AMAZING FACTOID 1# - So, the world has 8 million hectares of planted vineyards (these are the registered ones we know about!) and taking up over 1 million of them is Spain. Despite massive culls of vines to control the vast amounts of wasted wine produced each year, Spain, France and Italy still contain 3 times more vines than the U.S.A each. Spain pulled up 500,000 hectares of vines in the last 20 years and still leads the vineyard count by a good margin. Spain is known for its Rioja wines and has vines planted all along its coastline.

AMAZING FACTOID 2# - Italians do not drink more wine per head either. That honour goes to the tiny country of Luxembourg. Luxembourg is positioned in an excellent place to enjoy some of the worlds best wines between Germany's Mosel-Saat vineyards and France. Luxembourg even produces a fair amount of wine considering its size.

AMAZING FACTOID 3# - Italian wine yields are improving in quality so are decreasing in size. Of the European producers it is Luxembourg who have the highest yields with Germany coming in second. Luxembourg fancies itself as the New Alsace but might have to drop their yields a little if they seriously want to compete for quality. The most famous producer is Bernard Massard who producers a very good Pinot Blanc that you can buy here.

Italy is the 3rd greatest wine consumer, has the 3rd most planted vineyards in the world and the 2nd highest crop yields of any major wine producing country. These factors combine to create the worlds foremost wine Super Power! Italy is not only the largest producer but also the most varied. If you look at a map of Italy it is the perfect place to grow vines, split down the middle by a mountain range as rolling hills break gently to the sea.

It was the Romans who perfected the art of wine making, even creating wines that would age. So winemaking techniques have been improved upon for 2000 years and the best spots are taken. The entire circumference of Italy is planted with vines including the off lying islands of Sardinia and Sicily. The volcanic soil of the country is ideal for some grape varieties. The average temperature varies incredibly between north and south and the thin strip of land that is Italy is cooled on both sides by two different seas. So you see, Italy rules Vino! Not France, Italy!

Castello di Camigliano Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 - BUY

Deep dark ruby red with garnet reflections just sitting in the glass you can tell this is a serious wine, looks full bodied. Seriously interesting nose of blackcurrent, cassis and most noticeably graphite. This wine seriously smell like a 2HB pencil. Great structure to the palate, balanced tannins with a herby sensation in the mid palate. Good clean finish, mid length. Good VFM here, lots going on. - 91 Points

Question of the Day

Can you name something famous or interesting about Luxembourg?

Umbrian Wine

Hello Grape Pickers,

I hope everybody had a nice weekend. I'm writing on Sunday because tomorrow I travel to Venice so won't be able to write a blog entry. I spent this weekend in Umbria in the beautiful hill town of Todi. I took with me the Racemi Felline Primitivo of Fridays blog and a new wine to review the 2004 Antinori Tignanello.

This weekend I spoke to local expats and Italians of Umbria to discover the local drinking habits. I was surprised at the extent of viticulture in the area. A quick tour by car reveals that the countryside is simply full of vines and olive groves. Umbria is not famous for wine but almost every small town is producing wine in a major way. Orvieto is the most famous wine producing area but there are significant vineyards in Todi, Assisi and Perugia.

The populace of rural Umbria get their wine (mostly white Grechetto & Trebbiano or red Sangiovese) for €1.20 a litre from the local petrol garage. The wine is pumped into any vessel the customer thinks suitable just like petrol and, the locals tell me, the quality is just fine. Last night we ate at a local trattoria in Todi and sampled the white and red at dinner and while the wine wont be winning any awards it certainly did the job and is very cheap. This wine also finds its way onto restaurant tables as the house wine.

Umbria has one D.O.C.G wine but is most famous for the Orvieto Classico white. There are some excellent blended wines from the region most notably the Lamborghini, Falesco and Sportoletti super-umbrians! The Orvieto Classico's can be very good and very cheap, I recommend La Carraia as the best producer currently operating.

Antinori Tignanello 2004 - €40 - BUY and HOLD
Intense & beautiful ruby red, a superb traditional Tignanello colour with orange hues. Initially very subtle aromas of cherry and vanilla. Six hours later the nose was explosive giving massive notes of strawberries and coffee as well as the initial cherry and vanilla. The wine is among the smoothest I've ever tasted with super rich opulence and class. The tannins were well balanced considering the age and the finish was fruity finesse. Gave the impression of having a lot more to say in a few years. Drinking wonderfully today but will improve, you shouldn't drink this wine for at least 5 more years and 10 would be better! Wonderful QPR - 94 Points

Where can I Buy this wine?
Europeans - Enoteca San Domenico - €45
Americans - Wine Merchant Cincinnati - $75
Brits - The Cellar Door - £38

Question of the Day
If you could get your wine in any vessel you wanted, like the Umbrians, what would you choose and why?

Primitivo Wine

Hello Cork Poppers,

Today I'm going to wax lyrical about Primitivo wine. If you read yesterdays "Italian wine blog" then you will know that one of the wines up for review was the Racemi Felline Primitivo di Manduria 2005. I was very excited about reviewing the wine as Primitivo is causing a big stir and gaining in popularity every year.

Racemi Felline Primitivo di Manduria 2005 - €8 - BUY

Dark intense ruby red with a powerful nose of sweet dark fruits, chocolate and vanilla, even hints of orange. Tannins are a little aggressive, mid-full bodied, a very fruity mid palate with the strawberries continuing through. Nicely alcoholic on the finish. Really surprising complexity to the wine - 90 Points

This wine is awesome. The alcohol is pretty big at 14% but it's a really versatile wine, it's explosive with a really powerful nose and attacking mouth feel but it's also a contemplative wine. It has layers of appeal.

I gave it 90 points but at €8 it has massive QPR, high quality example of what Primitivo is doing at the moment and falls into the price category of everyday drinking wine. Seek it out. Traditionally Primitivo would suit a pasta with ragu sauce but this is such a great wine you could order steak without worrying.

2005 was a 5 star vintage across southern Italy and Sicily. So I am highly recommending everyone to stock up on the wines of the south from 2005. I've had a lot of experience of the '05 Syrah and Merlot from Planeta (Sicily) and these wines are 93-91 point wines respectively, retailing at €15.

Italian wine isn't just about Piedmont and Tuscany. Big up the South. There's an idea for another blog entry, a North Vs South VFM tradeoff showdown, smackdown, faceoff kinda thing! "YEAH!" Just in case I was too subtle, BUY THIS WINE.

WHERE CAN I BUY THIS WINE?

Europeans - Everywine - €8

Americans - WineLibrary - $12

Brits - I can see Fine and Rare carry it at £8 a bottle but you have to make a minimum order to purchase so use Everywine too.

Question of the Day

What little know wine can you recommend to us that is great VFM?

Italian Supermarket Wine

In my experience, buying wine at the local supermarket is usually a disappointment. Yes, I know Tesco and Asda are stepping up their games with their mini tasters & marketing but lalalalala, they don't usually stock famous names! Some of their wines can be good, but you have to kiss a lot of frogs. If they do carry a producer you recognise the wine is invariably their cheapest expression of the grape or from a year most educated wine drinkers simply wont touch.

My experience of supermarkets in Rome has followed the same pattern until last week. I discovered Auchen had opened a two floor mega market close to my home in Rome. I'd heard wonderful things about Auchen, rumours that seemed so hopeful I dare not believe them. The big news was that Auchen sell Cheddar. I can't stress enough how important Cheddar is to an English person and when you are deprived of it, it's amazing the lengths you will go to obtain it. On an English shopping list the basics go thus; bread, milk, eggs and cheese. As long as you have these (and tea bags of course) then everything will be OK, whatever the crisis.

Auchen's cheese is nothing compared to Auchen's wine. Three full aisles of Italian wine from all corners of the country, cheap wine, 6 litre bottles, bargains and famous names. They even carried a fair selection of international wines, well, maybe 50 international wines, from Chile, Argentina, California, Spain, France and even Brazil. My local Carrefour has 4 bottles of international wine.

I was in my own personal Disneyland with a huge section of champagnes (check out the €320 Moet & Chandon double magnum), the great Barolos (nice Pio Cesare selection) and Brunello di Montalcino's. What I found most interesting was the clear support the store is providing directly to Lazio producers as there was an entire aisle of whites and reds from Lazio, some Cabs and Shiraz that I didn't realise anyone in Lazio produced. There were Pinot Noirs and Cabernet Franc wines from Italian producers that I will be very interested to try. These gave me an idea for two future blog entries, one solely about the wines of Lazio and the other about new grape varieties introduced into Italy.

Auchen even sell those wonderful mini bottles for when getting completely blotto just isn't an option. See left.

Today's Wines

I got hold of some great wines today including the Antinori Tignanello 2004 for €40, the Gaja Barbaresco 2001 for €100, the Antinori Chianti Classico Marchese Riserva 2001 for €20 and, a wine I've yet to try and I'm very excited about, the Racemi Primitivo di Manduria 2005 for €8. This wine always divides opinion and I've seen the same years scored from 90 to 82 from known experts.

I adore Zinfandel, I know it gets a rough ride with some in the industry but a great Californian Zinfandel is a wonderful thing and as this is an Italian wine blog then I have to get on board and champion Primitivo. For those who don't know, there is a massive controversy surrounding Primotivo right now.

It has recently been discovered, conclusively, that Zinfandel is more closely related to Primitivo than any other grape currently still in existence. Some US Zinfandel enthusiasts are angry that some Italian producers are using the word Zinfandel on Primotivo labels. They feel the name they have worked for years to create with Californian Zinfandel is being hijacked by Primitivo, a grape that has not exactly set the wine world on fire. Italian producers are beginning to see the potential in Primotivo as a grape and aligning it with Zinfandel. Personally, I really hope good Primitivo can hold a torch to Zinfandel because it's cheap and plentiful here in Italy.

I'll find out tonight!

I'll review the wines in a separate entry for tomorrow and I'll leave you with some of my favourite photo's from Auchen.

Question of the Day

#1 Would you go into a supermarket and take photos for your blog? :o)

#2 Where do you stand on the Zinfandel/Primotivo debate?

#3 Would you buy Italian Merlot in a carton?

You just don't get this in the local supermarkets!